Fatal Kinesics
by NeverLookBackSamurai
Summary: [Manga and Movie Crossovers] L has asked three people to join the investigation team. Two are readily accepted, but who is this third newcomer? How does she relate to the Kira case, and what is her relationship with the famous detective? LxOC
1. Newcomer

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Death Note or any characters affiliated therewith. I only own I/Ai.

* * *

The Kira investigation team all looked in the direction Ryuuzaki pointed. What they saw was definitely not what they expected. Two blondes, a man and a woman, as well as a third person whose face was hidden beneath a hood stepped through the door.

"I'm Aiber, professional con artist. Nice to meet you," the blonde man spoke with a deep, seductive voice as piercing blue eyes surveyed the five investigation members before him.

"Wedy, I'm a thief." The first woman's brief introduction slid off her tongue like cool water in summer, making everyone relax slightly despite their current situation. Finally, everyone looked at the final newcomer, apparently a young brunette woman in her early twenties. She was dressed in flare jeans, an elegant, blue wrap-around v-neck top, and black sandals with tatami-like soles. The only thing that stained this pretty image was the fact that her face and much of her head in general was hidden beneath an azure cape and hood, much like a riding hood.

"I'm I, kinesics expert." The woman spoke in a soft, genteel voice as she pulled the hood farther over her face, as if she was shy.

"'Ai'? You mean as in 'love' or 'indigo'?" Matsuda blurted out with his usual naiveté. She turned in his direction, and the light from the ceiling allowed a glimpse of the woman's full, pink lips, at the moment curved upwards slightly in a small smile. But this wasn't the only thing Matsuda noticed; he nearly recoiled in shock at how bright her eyes were, as if she was staring into the depths of his soul.

"… Yes. You may call me 'Ai' if you wish, mister…?"

"Matsuda. Touta Matsuda," he said, rubbing the back of his head in an embarrassed way. Ai nodded and stepped back behind Aiber and Wedy, trying to hide herself further. Ryuuzaki had been waiting patiently during these introductions, and finally saw his chance to elaborate.

"I is, as she said, a kinesics expert. That means-" he glanced at Matsuda's questioning look, "- she's an expert in reading body language." The team thought it strange that the detective did not divulge any more information, but they did not get a chance to question it as Ryuuzaki continued.

"Aiber is an expert when it comes to languages, psychology, and personality transformation. He has the skills to mingle with all levels of society and has always been able to build a strong relationship with a given target. We'll use him to get close to the Yotsuba members.

"Wedy is a master thief who can bypass any lock, security system, or vault. Proof of her skills is that she was able to infiltrate this building without being detected." Ryuuzaki looked around the room in a serious manner before continuing.

"… These two are both seasoned criminals," he said, pointing at the latter two.

"We'll be working side by side with criminals…?" Soichiro Yagami looked skeptically at Ryuuzaki.

"They're different from the type of criminals Kira punishes though. These two are definite pros, known only in the gangland. There are other criminals I know of who could help us if the need arises. But none of them want to show their faces, of course, and I won't show my face to any whom I don't trust. On top of that, some of them would have to live here with us." Soichiro looked at the raven-haired man with something akin to disapproving, but said nothing.

"I couldn't really use this approach while being connected to the police, but now…" Light nodded at the detective, understanding washing over him.

"But-"

"Dad, I get it. Aiber-san and Wedy-san will be helpful in investigating Yotsuba. We should all work together and solve this case as quickly and efficiently as we can."

Everyone agreed, but Ai stayed silent, not moving. Ryuuzaki noticed this as he gave Aiber and Wedy their room keys and everyone else went back to their respective computers.

"Ryuuzaki, could you sit down? I can't type when the chain's stretched out like this…" Light said, already opening a file on his computer.

"Oh, of course, Light-kun," he replied, stepping back a few paces. Ai saw him looking at her, and read his movements as his eyes flicked to the clock overhead, to his ten splayed out fingers, to the elevator that went up to the dorm rooms, and finally, at his single, upraised finger. Ai nodded, comprehending, as she sat down beside the computer on Ryuuzaki's immediate left that had apparently been set up specifically for her use. Ai allowed herself a small smile as she reflected that Watari had most likely set it up for her, as he always had way back then.

* * *

A/N: There seems to have been a misunderstanding about when I say 'Please forgive my poor writing skills' and whatnot. For me, saying that my work is disgraceful is an example of modesty, not like where some people say 'Ooh, look at me, I'm so good at writing", etc. etc. So please, reader, forgive me for any confusion I may have caused you. 


	2. Cousin

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Death Note or any characters affiliated therewith. I only own I/Ai/Isis.

* * *

At precisely 9:57 p.m., Ai shut down her computer and walked to the light switch beside the elevator that would take her to L's dormitory. She needn't have worried about leaving the lights on, seeing as she was the last to leave the computer room. L had gone up about an hour earlier with Light, who had been trying hard not to nod off at his computer. As she got off the lift, she rolled her eyes; as always, L had spared no expense at making the interior of the investigation building resemble a five star hotel.

_"Well, he always __**did **__prefer fancy things,"_ she thought to herself as she knocked on a whitewashed door with a brass plate that had the number 1 engraved on it. She heard movement on the other side of the door as she lightly tugged at her hood.

"Punctual as always," L murmured, smiling slightly. Then the detective sighed at the woman's shyness as he opened the door and invited her in.

"Ai-san…" he began.

"Ah. You noticed," she said, switching to English as she sat cross-legged on the chair L gave her. He nodded, picking up a half-eaten slice of strawberry cake he'd left on the coffee table in front of them.

"So. Who was it that made you move?" he asked her in English, delicately licking away a speck of icing that had somehow gotten on his finger. Ai fidgeted with the hem of her cloak, remembering the way the young man had made her feel.

"… The one you were chained to downstairs…" L raised an eyebrow. "…Light Yagami," she finished, gazing at the television screens placed in front of the detective's current perch.

"It's that one," he said, pointing to a screen in the middle shelf. The view was tinted with a reddish glow, which Ai took to mean there were infrared cameras in Light's room.

"…He may be asleep, but I still feel this nagging sensation that something's wrong about him…" L nodded thoughtfully.

"So you suspect him too." An awkward silence fell over the two as they watched the screens. It was L who finally broke it.

"How have you been, Isis?" Ai gave a start at the mention of her childhood name, but quickly relaxed and smiled.

"Just fine. Work's been hectic, with police asking for my help left and right, but I've managed to keep up my façade as a psychologist." She paused. "I'm surprised you remembered my name from the orphanage, Elliott," she said softly.

"Likewise. But why wouldn't I?" he murmured, looking at Ai with a small smile on his face. She felt her face warm and averted her gaze to one of the screens.

"So how have _you _been? I saw that broadcast you did a few weeks ago…" Ai smiled knowingly at him. "Still can't back down from a challenge after all these years?" she asked softly. The detective shook his head.

"I think that may be one of the reasons why Alex chose me as the next L." He stopped, seeing Ai's puzzlement. "… Alex. The previous L before me."

"Oh. Right." Once more a silence enveloped the two as they mulled over their current situation.

"Oh, I almost forgot." Ai brought out a paper bag from beneath her cloak. "Here. These are for you." L took the bag, surprised by its weight and shook it slightly by the tips of his fingers.

"You're going to make it explode if you keep doing that," Ai mumbled, trying to keep the amusement from her voice. She watched her friend open the bag tentatively, before he let out a happy cry. The detective quickly withdrew five bottles of strawberry flavored ramune, along with a few handfuls of red lollipops and other candy. Ai laughed as she watched L, who immediately popped open two bottles and handed one to her, bringing the other to his lips. She tried to politely refuse, saying that he could drink it all, but L was insistent. Defeated, the woman sighed, and took the bottle. For a while, L and Ai forgot their current predicament and enjoyed themselves, catching up with everything that had happened in their lives.

"I remember that right before I left to help Alex, you disappeared. And I never even got to say goodbye," L said, a frown on his face. "What happened that made you leave so suddenly?" Ai lightly placed her empty ramune bottle on the coffee table in front of her, before folding her hands in her lap.

"My mother died."

"Miss Mercedes!?" L asked incredulously. His friend nodded, looking back to the television screens as if she had just realized they were there.

"She died from cancer. I had just turned eighteen, so I thought I could leave the orphanage and live and work elsewhere. But Watari-" she shot a glance at the raven-haired man before her, "-insisted I stay, working, living, and learning at the orphanage. He told me that even though I was legally considered an adult, he still saw me as the little girl he'd seen clinging to my mother's skirt as she tidied up everywhere, trying to help her and not get in her way at the same time. But this was after you had left…" Ai trailed off as she stared at two monitors, Misa's and Light's, sitting side by side on the middle shelf. L saw where she was looking, and the frown on his face deepened.

"Isis?"

"Misa… What's Misa doing here?" She looked at L. "What are you doing keeping my own cousin under surveillance without telling me in the first place?!" If L was startled by Ai's sudden outburst, he did not show it.

"She is being kept here under suspicion for being the second Kira," he said simply, sticking a cherry lollipop in his mouth, "And before you start accusing me, I had no knowledge of her being your cousin."

"Misa Amane is a distant cousin of mine related to me by blood on my father's side," she said coldly. "I'm sure you remember what happened to Hideki, right?" L nodded slowly, not looking at her but motioning for her to keep her voice down.

"We were the only children in our families, and we always used to write each other. We became as close as sisters…" Ai sat back down, pulling back her hood.

"Why didn't you tell me she was under suspicion before I came here?" L saw Misa's sea green eyes staring back at him. Just like Matsuda, L's eyes widened in surprise to see how bright her eyes had become, eyes that could read everything, and yet not be read. Ai's hair fell to just below her shoulder blades in thick, wavy curls that must surely have been like her mother's.

"I had no knowledge of her being your cousin," the detective reiterated, unable to tear his gaze away from the woman before him. Ai buried her face in her hands and sighed.

"Fine. I won't do anything to sway your decision." She stood up, turning toward the door. "But if she does in fact turn out to be Kira…" L nodded, comprehending. Ai stared back, noting how the young man's obsidian eyes kept a steady gaze on her as she pulled her hood back over her face.

"You've gotten quite pretty in ten years, you know," L blurted out without thinking. The brunette froze, but the detective could see a faint tinge of pink brush over her cheeks as she turned the doorknob.

"So have you, L." With that, she left, leaving a slightly stunned, but smiling L behind to watch the monitors.

* * *

**A/N:** I realize I am telling my readers late, but just for the record, I do not have a beta, and I do not want one. Therefore, whatever I post possibly may be the product of many hours of revision and lack of sleep. But I hope it makes sense to my readers.


	3. Facades

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Death Note or any characters affiliated therewith. I only own I/Ai/Isis.

* * *

L could tell that Ai was still upset that L had put her own cousin under suspicion for being the Second Kira. It showed in how she would always speak to him curtly, only elaborating if she was telling him something related to the case. But even that she kept as brief as possible. Ai hated having to watch Misa on the screens above her as the blonde went about her daily business. A few days ago, L had invited her up to Misa's room to let the girl know Ai was there. Of course, the visit was originally intended to be a 'date', but it turned out that the blonde actually ignored Light most of the time, squealing with delight, and happy that her beloved sister-cousin was nearby helping her boyfriend to catch Kira. For two weeks there were no breakthroughs in the case, until one particular filming job turned into a dangerous game for Matsuda, who was pretending to be Misa's manager at the time. The investigation group was going over the plan to investigate Yotsuba, when a distorted voice came from the computer behind L.

"Ryuuzaki…"

"Yes Watari?" the detective asked.

"Matsuda-san has just sent a distress signal from his belt buckle…" L's face drew itself into a half-scowl.

"… Where's it from?"

"Apparently from one of the Yotsuba Tokyo offices…"

"Has Matsuda lost his mind?!" Soichiro Yagami shouted. "If he's been caught-!"

"He's sending a distress signal, so he might've already been…" Light didn't want to think about the rest. Wedy rolled her eyes and blew out a puff of smoke as Aiber sighed and said plainly,

"He'll probably be killed." Ai did not move from where she was sitting behind L on the computer desk. Her arms were folded as she pondered what to do, all the while thinking,

_"Matsuda… How can you be __**this**__ naïve?"_

"Matsuda is such a fool…" L muttered.

"If Matsuda's distress signal came from Yotsuba, is Misa also there?" Soichiro wondered aloud. His son shrugged.

"Who knows with Matsuda?" he said. Ai watched L turn his chair around and look at her. As she surveyed the room and its current occupants, her mind worked furiously. She knew she could save Matsuda, given the chance, since she knew just by his actions he liked her in more than just a friendly sense. This she decided to use to her advantage when L turned to Soichiro, asking,

"When he's outside, Matsuda-san only carries his I.D. as Misa's manager, 'Taro Matsui', correct, Yagami-san?"

"Yes, that is a definite fact."

"Then would you please call Matsui's cell phone, Yagami-san?" the detective asked, holding his hand out for the device. Soichiro didn't need to be told twice. Light, however, was concerned for the detective's safety.

"Ryuuzaki, isn't it dangerous for you to be on an ordinary cell phone?" he asked.

"I'll be okay," L answered as he held Soichiro's phone to his ear. Abruptly, a pale, slender hand delicately whipped the phone from his grasp. L spun around in his chair in annoyance.

"Hey…"

* * *

Hatori and Shimura looked at each other as Matsui's cell phone began to ring.

"Go ahead and answer it," Hatori said. "Don't tell them where you are and leave it on speakerphone so we can listen." Matsui quickly picked up the noisy apparatus and flipped it open without looking at the caller I.D.

"Taro? Honey are you there?" asked a worried, high-pitched female voice.

_"Ai-san…?"_ Matsuda's face went pink at the thought of his secret crush calling him.

"Yes, I'm here, Aiko," he said, using the first name that popped into his head. Ai cringed slightly on the other end of the phone, but continued, feigning her voice.

"Taro, where are you? Are you still at the agency building?"

"Yeah." Matsuda heard Ai gasp.

"Does your boss want to see you again because of another stunt that co-worker pulled? Are you in trouble?" Matsuda wondered if Ai was truly as upset as she sounded.

"Um… Kind of," he replied, slightly breaking out in a sweat as Hatori and Shimura stared at him intently.

"Do you have proof it was him, this time?" Something about the way Ai asked the question made Matsuda relax and say,

"Yes." Unbeknownst to the three 'businessmen', Ai was smiling in her victory to get the young man to calm down. Hatori and Shimura shared the same ignorant, foolish thoughts:

_"This guy sure knows how to lie when he's doing business deals…"_

"Goodie!" Ai shouted in a happy voice that was much like Misa's. "Way to go, Taro-kun!" Matsuda smiled at her tone, then his heart rate jumped up again.

"Are you alone?" she asked. "It's already 7:00, so everybody's home from work. Where's your boss?"

"He… had to take care of something… He'll be back soon."

"Not even a secretary's there?" The brunette's voice was heavily laden with incredulity.

"No. My boss… sent her home." He heard Ai sniff disapprovingly. Ai heard his pausing and mouthed to L, "Not with Misa. Someone listening."

"Some secretary…" she muttered. "So then… I should expect you around 8:45 or so?"

"Yeah…" Matsuda was glad the impromptu conversation was ending.

"Okay then. I love you Taro. Bye-bye." By the time Matsuda snapped his phone shut and turned to face Hatori and Shimura, both men were smiling slightly at the young man's cherry-red face.

"M-My girlfriend," he explained, searching for excuses as he rubbed the back of his neck. "She's a-always worried about me." It wasn't exactly a lie; Matsuda had been fantasizing about Ai for the past two weeks, hoping that, since she could read body movements so well, she'd see he liked her and become friendlier with him. Poor Matsuda. No such luck. He shook his head to clear the embarrassment, before leaning forward like an eager businessman.

"A-Anyway, what do you think about Misa Amane? I know she'd be happy to work for your company…"

* * *

Everyone stared at Ai as she handed the phone back to Soichiro, unable to believe what had transpired.

"Whaaaaaaaat?!" she asked in an outraged, whining voice that could have belonged to a six year old begging their mother for ice cream.

"Hmph. You think Aiber is the only one who can change their personality?" the brunette inquired in a snobbish, private-schoolgirl tone. After seeing everyone's eyes widen to the point they couldn't get any bigger, Ai switched back to her normal quiet, shy demeanor, tugging nervously at the hood over her head.

"It's gotten me out of a few tight spots. But I'm not even an amateur when it comes to Aiber." She smiled and dipped her head respectfully at the blonde man before L interrupted.

"Light-kun, now's your chance to call Misa."

"Right." The teen dialed a number, waited a few seconds, and then sighed exasperatedly.

"Her phone's off, Ryuuzaki. Must still be filming," he muttered. "Misa," he spoke into the phone, "It's Light. Call me back after you're done filming. My cell will be on."

"Now what, Ryuuzaki? Apparently, Matsuda's alone, judging from that call, and it was obvious someone was listening in…"

"Yes, Matsuda-san does seem to be in a tight spot…" The detective sighed. "But if it so happens that Matsuda-san dies…"

"Yotsuba will most likely be the culprit," Ai interjected. L looked at her with an odd look.

"For now, we should wait and see. Anything extreme would definitely call attention to us." Everyone looked at one another, before agreeing to L and Ai's plan. The brunette woman ran her hand along a keyboard as she sat next to L and laid her head on her arms on the desk, relieved the conversation with Matsuda had gone so well. As he looked at her, the detective felt a strong urge to pat her head or do _something_. What, he didn't know. His hand seemed to lift of its own volition and just when he'd placed his hand on her head, Light's cell phone rang.

"It's Misa," he said. "Misa, where's Matsuda right now?"

"Matsu? He went off somewhere around three. I don't know where he went," the blonde said. "Light, you know I can't get back into the building without him, right?" she pouted. Ai lifted her head and stared at the back of L's head, her head tilted to the side in questioning at both his previous action and the conversation.

"Oh wait, Matsui just called my work phone. Hold on a sec, Light…" The teen repeated this to the rest of the group, and all heads snapped to attention.

"Misa, come… Yotsuba Tokyo office… Ask for… Yes, the guard should let you through… Get to be in… commercial!" The voice was faint, but it was unmistakably Matsuda on Misa's other phone. The blonde squealed in delight, causing Light to tear the phone away from his ear in pain and irritation.

"Misa! Don't go to Yotsuba," the brunette shouted at the woman.

"Huh? Why?" the blonde asked in disbelief. "No matter how popular I get, I'll always be yours Light…"

"That's not what I meant," he said flatly.

"Wait, Yagami-kun. Let's have her go. We might be able to save Matsuda-san that way," L said. Light nodded.

"Misa, listen up…" The model nodded and repeatedly assented as Light explained what she should do.

"You understand, Misa? We'll handle Yoshida Productions and security stuff. The plan should work, seeing how beautiful you are." The girl jumped for joy.

"Anything you say, Light! And you said I was beautiful! Thanks so much! I'll do my best!" Both parties then hung up and Light turned to the detective beside him. But before he could open his mouth, Ai spoke up.

"Ryuuzaki, this plan for a get together is a blessing for both her and the investigation. For one, it's something for them to get to know Misa better; see how she acts outside of work. For us, we can gather information. But if that is to be done in an extremely thorough manner..." She looked at the detective seriously. "Let me go to the party. I might be able to smuggle Matsuda out… Or at least get some information out of one of them…" The detective eyes were impassive as he looked at the brunette woman, who felt inexplicably nervous under his intense gaze. He looked away and Ai nearly gasped. What she had seen and felt was his reluctance, but the way his body moved also told her something else; something that she wasn't sure he should be feeling toward her.

"Fine. Here's the card key to her room." L's voice held no emotion, but as Ai took the card, he let his hand fall into hers, brushing his fingertips against hers.

"Be careful," he whispered to her.

"I will," Ai said. With that, she turned and hurriedly left the room.

* * *

**A/N:** My apologies if characters are OOC in this chapter, but I tried to fit Matsuda's personality correctly. (The original conversation I'd written portrayed Matsuda as thinking faster and more realistically than in the manga)


	4. Jealousy

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Death Note or any characters affiliated therewith. I only own I/Ai.

* * *

"… And then he was fired because of that screw up. If it was me, I'd've totally ruined his life," Higuchi loudly reiterated this statement for the fifth time as he casually draped an arm over Ai's shoulders, pulling her close to him.

"Ooh!" she squealed in a near imitation of Misa. "Are you guys really that rich?!"

"Of course!" the man exclaimed, taking another swig from the glass in his hand. "We're from -hic- Yotsuba! And someday, it'll be even bigger than that U.S. company, whatsitcalled…?" Ai cuddled up closer to Higuchi, lightly tracing nonsense patterns on the front of his shirt.

"I'd just _love_ to marry a guy who works for a rich company…" she said. Higuchi felt his face go hot at the suggestion.

But others were very aggravated by this display. Just as planned, Misa had brought the Yotsuba members over to her room where they were being observed without their knowledge. Misa had explained that Ai was her cousin, who was born in America and now worked as an up-and-coming model in Japan. But, the brunette explained, she was employed by a different, obscure agency. Nevertheless, Ai was certainly dressed like a model. And had the body to match.

"Ai's doing well. I didn't know she was _this _good," Light said, staring up at the screen before him in utter amazement. L didn't answer. He frowned as Higuchi's hand trailed up and down Ai's right arm, before moving lower to wrap around her waist. Even though he knew the brunette was doing this for the good of the investigation, he couldn't help but feel angry and jealous as he watched her.

"Ryuuzaki, are you okay? You're scowling…" L turned to find Light's genuinely concerned face staring back at him.

"I'm fine, Yagami-kun. I'm just worried that something might happen to Ai-san or Misa-san…" The teen didn't see L fidget with his toes as he looked back up at the screen.

"_Is she really enjoying herself?_" he thought to himself. "_Or is she merely doing work for the investigation…?"_ The detective's sharp eyes caught Matsuda sneaking off to the bathroom, picking up Misa's cell phone as he went. Sure enough, the phone rang as soon as he was inside.

"Ryuuzaki, you're watching right?" came the young man's worried voice.

"Yes," L muttered.

"These eight had a meeting discussing Kira's next victim. I heard it loud and clear. It's got to be them!"

"Are you positive? That would certainly interest many courts if it is true…" L said, creeping forward in his chair in interest. "But since you were caught seemingly eavesdropping, they must surely be thinking of ways to kill you." Matsuda broke out in a sweat, and his voice went up a notch.

"I kind of figured that. What should I do?"

"Since you're still alive, I don't think they or Kira have the ability to find out your name just by looking at your face. Now, the way to get out of this would be…"

Ai saw Matsuda step out of the bathroom out of the corner of her eye. Her eyebrow twitched in questioning as she saw him glance at her with anticipation, resolution, and apology.

"Man, being drunk feels great!" he said, stretching as he walked to the balcony, opening the sliding glass door.

"Hey, e'ryone! Loo-gah-me! Iz the Taro Masssssswee showww!!!" Ai wondered if Matsuda really was as drunk as he sounded; his slurring was almost the same as a real drunk. Her eyes went wide and she was bumped forward as Higuchi leaned over to see Matsuda put his hands on the railing.

"W-What are you doing?!" Shimura yelled.

"You're drunk! Be careful!" Mido said, leaping up. Everyone was tense except Misa, who was egging him on as he jumped up onto the balcony railing.

"Yay! Go Matsui-san!!!" she yelled happily.

"Heh, heh. Dunnn worry… I'm alwayssss 'oing this…" Ai almost fell over as Higuchi ran to the door, just behind the curtains.

"STOP, YOU FOOL!!!" His warning came too late, as Matsuda fell over the railing. This threw everyone into a panic, even Ai and Misa, who ran over to look. They squeezed themselves between Higuchi, Mido, and Shimura and screamed as they saw Matsuda's body six floors down on the pavement.

"Oh my god!" Ai screamed hysterically, clinging to Higuchi's shirt. Matsuda wasn't exactly her type of guy, but he _was_ sweet and kind. The brunette would never have wanted him dead…

"M-Maybe you guys s-should go," came Misa's shaky voice amid the chaos. "You can call me later, we'll handle things here."

"But what about us?!" one of the other models screamed, rushing to the closet with two other women to grab their bags. Ai and Misa told them all to go, before they rushed back to the balcony. They saw a blonde woman in a striped business suit scream and pull out something from her pocket.

"_Wedy?"_ Ai thought, her heart racing. Five minutes later, an ambulance drove up and discharged two paramedics, one with black hair, the other auburn-haired. Her eyes narrowed in anger and she prayed she was right.

* * *

The next day…

* * *

"Aww, it sure is small…" Matsuda complained as he looked at the words, 'Misa Amane's manager dies in drunken fall' printed on the day's newspaper.

"Those eight probably would have checked to make sure. Be happy that you're safe now… most likely…" Light trailed off.

"Most likely?!" Matsuda's voice shot up a full octave, before Ryuuzaki threw a paper ball at him to get him to shut up.

"Aiber, since Matsuda-san no longer exists as Amane's manager, would you like to take over the job?" he asked, ignoring Matsuda's irritated gestures. The blonde man politely declined.

"I have to take care of other business elsewhere."

"All right then. Mogi-san will be her new manager. More to the point, due to Matsuda-san's _mistake_…" Ryuuzaki glanced at the young man, who seemed to have given up for the moment, "… it is now safe to assume that, out of these eight, at least one of them has a connection to Kira. Now we can observe each of them more vigilantly-"

WHAM! Everyone turned at the sound of a door slamming open, startled as Ai stormed into the room, her hood flying off her head, revealing her face at last to the rest of the team members. She stopped right next to Ryuuzaki and gave him such a loud slap that it made everyone wince. He blinked and held a hand to his reddening cheek in surprise.

"What was that for, Ai-san?"

"WHAT WAS THAT FOR?!" she screamed, a wild look in her eyes, "I NEARLY HAD A HEART ATTACK WHEN MATSUDA FELL OF THE BALCONY!! WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL ME IT WAS ANOTHER PART OF THE PLAN?!" The brunette slapped him again, harder this time, sending the detective sprawling to the floor. Light shouted at the woman to stop, but retreated quickly at her murderous gaze. Ai lifted the dazed young man by the front of his collar, ready to slap him again, when he spoke softly, his voice breaking slightly with pain,

"Please don't slap me again, Ai." L said it in English, and all the anger Ai had previously felt drained out of her in an instant. "Please don't. I only came up with the plan right when you were in the middle of the party. Matsuda couldn't have told you; it had to be done immediately." Ai was panting, suddenly exhausted with the effort it had taken to slap the detective. His fingers slowly curled around the hand holding his collar and gently pried it off. Obsidian eyes found earthen ones and she was abruptly aware of how warm L's hand was. She pulled away hastily and allowed him to stand up.

"Take the day off, Ai-san," the detective murmured, prodding the sides of his face and wincing at the pain. "I'll talk to you later." He picked up his chair and sat back down. Just as he was about to speak to Light, Ai spoke up.

"Either Higuchi or Namikawa." The investigation members looked at the woman in questioning and interest.

"What did you say, Ai-san?" L asked softly. The brunette looked up at him, the beginnings of tears in her eyes. She nearly choked as she whispered,

"Kira is one of the eight. It's either Higuchi or Namikawa. There was a definite air of anticipation or… something…" Finally, she had to leave and ran back out the door she came through. L looked at the others, who had a surprised look on their faces.

"…Everyone take the day off," he said, waving his hand at them. Matsuda looked at Light, who glanced at his father, who raised his eyebrows at Mogi. Finally, all eyes lay on the detective as he shut down his computer and made his way over to the dorm elevator with Light in tow. When the detective and his chained suspect were gone, it was Mogi who voiced the question held in everyone's minds:

"What was _that _about?"

* * *

**Note: **All right, I might as well ask this now before I'm torn apart in absolute uncertainty. I would like to know from my readers if they would like either a **lemon**, **lime**, _**or**_ an **implied** scene. Be aware that if you choose either of the first ones mentioned, it will probably take me longer to post it. (Not for reasons you may think).


	5. Pain and Love

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Death Note or any characters affiliated therewith. I only own I/Ai/Isis.

* * *

Moonlight filtered through the transparent windows of the workout room, staining the blue mat on the floor a hauntingly beautiful silver-white. There, the room's single occupant was hard at work, punching and kicking a black striking pad relentlessly. Dressed in a black workout camisole and black leggings, her hair pulled back neatly in a ponytail, Ai might as well have been night itself.

"Ai-san, it's two a.m. in the morning," L said softly as he stepped into the room. "Why are you up?" All the dummies and targets absorbed his voice as he padded over to his friend, who continued her onslaught as though she had not heard him.

"Why are you here, Ryuuzaki?" she asked, twirling on her left heel and bringing her right up to slam into the rubber man before her, knocking it to the floor as she turned to face a different dummy. "You can speak in English you know." L rolled his eyes but assented.

"I couldn't find you in your room. So I figured coming here would be worth a try." The young man fell silent as he stood behind her, out of reach. For several minutes, neither of them spoke; Ai maintained her steady flow of kicks and punches, and L merely watched the long trail of sleek, shiny hair that whipped back and forth along the woman's shoulder blades as she struck again and again.

"Are you still mad?" the detective finally questioned, slipping a finger in his mouth. His friend didn't answer. Annoyance welled up in him as his gaze unwittingly traveled over the woman's thin, lithe figure, and he suddenly remembered the way she had acted at Misa's little "party".

_"It's almost like she was tantalizing me…" _The detective subconsciously bit harder on his finger.

"Mad for which reason: Misa or Matsuda?" L winced at her icy tone, withdrawing his finger and putting both his hands in his pockets. He sighed.

"Once again, for Matsuda, it had to be done on the spur of the moment. For Misa, I had no knowledge of her being your cousin. How many times do I have to tell you? It has to be done-"

SMACK! Out of the blue, Ai whirled around and threw a well-aimed punch at the detective. He caught her fist, but sidestepped as well, for safety's sake. His eyes, wide as they were, stretched even more at the sight of his friend; her normally neat hair was in disarray, wayward strands pasted to her sweaty, yet, rose-tinted face. The detective swallowed hard as he felt a distinct warming sensation around his loins.

_"…Does she even know just how erotically sensual she looks like that?"_ L nearly choked; he wasn't supposed to be having these thoughts about his friend. And yet, they just happened. His actions did not go unnoticed by the woman before him, and she smirked, but chose to ignore it.

"I know it has to be done, Elliott. And that's why I'm going to give you hell for it." She struck out with her free hand, aiming for L's nose. The man let go of her right hand and ducked, sweeping his left leg across the ground as a countermeasure. Ai leapt up, narrowly avoiding the low kick, before swinging her right leg up for a heel drop kick. The detective rolled to the side to dodge her foot, and stopped in a crouched position five feet from where she stood.

"You still have it, Isis," he said, his eyes betraying the slightest hint of enjoyment and anticipation. The brunette snorted and said,

"I try." They kept up their fight for a full ten minutes, each hoping to score a point that would drop the other to the ground so they could verbally get their point across. But no such luck for either party. Finally, as Ai went for a headshot, L disappeared from her view as he tackled low for her legs, sweeping them out from under her. She landed hard on her back, and as she made to get back up, L nimbly swung his leg over her, pinning her arms to her sides and preventing her escape.

"Damn it, L!" she screamed, writhing around below him.

"I win," he said simply, sticking a finger in his mouth as he observed the woman struggling for her release. He fingered the hem of his shirt thoughtfully, before finally slipping it up and over his head, throwing it a few feet away. Just as he suspected, Ai's reaction was priceless.

"You should never let a man's body distract you," he said matter-of-factly. The woman tore her eyes away from the shirtless man before her, her face flushed. Sure, she had seen plenty of shirtless boys at the orphanage when they roughhoused, but this was completely different. This was L, the greatest detective in the world. Half naked. Sitting on top of her.

_"It doesn't exactly help my situation any when he's got such a toned, sexy body like that…"_ She caught herself.

_"Why the hell am I thinking L's body is hot?!" _The detective couldn't resist provoking her more. He leaned down close and blew a soft puff in her ear.

"What's wrong Isis?" he whispered. There it was: Ai's body went rigid beneath his, and in the pale moonlight that still flooded the ground, he could see her face was now cherry red.

"Nothing," she growled. "Now get off me."

"…What if I don't want to get off? Sitting here is very comfy, like sitting on cotton candy." He licked his lips, thinking about how the thin strands of sugar wrapped around Ai would look and taste like.

"Pervert," she spat out. L smiled and cocked his head, considering.

"Just like Misa-san."

"Yeah, well, at least you like my cousin and she likes you. Me, I hate you." L was taken aback, and immediately Ai bit her lip, wishing she had said something else.

"Elliott… L… I-I didn't mean to-"

"Do you really mean that? Do you really hate me?" His eyes were trained on Ai's face, but his eyes were seeing something else, something obviously painful from his past that Ai wished she hadn't caused him to see again. She felt like bursting into tears as he blinked and looked at her with so much misery. His gaze was pleading, and she finally had to turn her head away, her eyes shut tight.

"I don't know. I don't know how I feel about you." She knew it was a lame excuse, but she couldn't express herself any other way. She found herself wishing for her hood, so she could hide behind its familiar weight. That way, L couldn't see her own pain. An uncomfortable silence lapsed over the two, broken only by the ticking of a clock and a distant helicopter.

"…I should get going," L said at last. "I left Watari in charge of watching the monitors while I was gone…" Slowly, he got up and picked up his shirt, letting the smooth material slide quickly over his head as he put it back on. Ai rolled over onto her side, curled up in a ball, hugging her knees. She didn't look at the detective, but a part of her missed the contact of his warm skin on hers. The woman heard the detective walk to the door and pause, before saying,

"I'm sorry." It was only after he had left that Ai allowed her tears to fall, her shoulders heaving with every sob.

_"What's there to be sorry for?"_ she asked the fading beams of moonlight. _"If only I hadn't said that I hated him, then-"_ And then it struck her like a lightning bolt. She knew why she was crying. And if she weren't already so deeply in love with L, she wouldn't have even bothered to worry about him.

* * *

**A/N:** Yes, I know characters are OOC, so please do not tell me they are in your reviews. Also, if you haven't gone back and read the A/N from the last chapter, I would like to know from my readers if they would like either a **lemon**, **lime**, _**or**_ an **implied** scene. Be aware that if you choose either of the first ones mentioned, it will probably take me longer to post it. (Not for reasons you may think). Also, I have no idea when the mentioned scene will take place. I am just trying to find out how many people would like what. Thank you for reading.


	6. Deserving

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Death Note or any characters affiliated therewith. I only own I/Ai/Isis.

* * *

After the event in the workout room, Ai had not left her dorm room for two days. Despite the anguish she had caused him, L still felt worried about her. As the hours went by working on the Kira case with Light and the other investigation members, the detective found that he couldn't fully focus on capturing the world's most dangerous criminal. His mind kept drifting to the woman he knew was upstairs, probably being persuaded by Watari to open her door and let him come in with something warm to eat, to offer kindly, comforting words, or perhaps even a fatherly embrace…

"Light-kun, Yagami-san, everyone, please listen." The Kira case members looked up from what they were doing to listen to L. The detective shut down his computer, surprising everyone. Whirling around in his swivel chair, the raven-haired man said calmly,

"I realize that this case is taking its toll on all of you, so I've decided to give everyone two days off, to recuperate. Catch up on sleep and whatever you've left undone these past few months." He then prompted Light to shut his computer down before dragging him by the handcuff to the dorm elevator, much to the disbelief of everyone. Sure, it had crossed their minds that they needed more rest than they were getting. But this was the Kira case! It had to be solved as soon as possible, or else more and more people would die. However, they had also chosen to follow the number one detective in the world, and his order they could not disobey. Carefully setting down what they had in their hands, they shut off every electronic device, filed away paperwork for later reference, and at last left the investigation room. Puzzled as they were, they were also glad this opportunity had presented itself.

* * *

L left his Kira suspect in Misa's annoyingly loving hands, trusting Watari to look after them on the monitors in his room. Slowly, he made his way down the hall to Ai's room, making sure to make no noise as he slipped his skeleton-cardkey through the identification reader. Upon opening the door, he was greeted with darkness and the soft sound of rain hitting the window.

"Isis?" he whispered. "Where are you?" He heard a small sniffle, and the rustling of bed sheets as Ai rolled over in her sleep, clutching at the smooth fabric as though she were in pain. L closed the door swiftly behind him and crossed the distance between them in only a few strides, leaning over the distraught woman.

"Isis…?" the detective's breath caught in his throat as he saw what looked like scratch marks on her palms and neck. There were weary red rings around her eyes, and twin trails of tears streaking down the sides of her face, which made the raven-haired man worry. What had she been doing to herself?

"No… L, please…" L froze upon hearing his name whispered in such a… needing voice.

"L… I'm sorry…I'm so sorry…" Ai began to sob, her nails scraping the sheets. The detective stared down at her still form, wondering what she could be sorry for.

"Isis, tell me what's wrong," he said softly, taking her hand in his as he sat beside her on the bed. The young woman moaned a little in her sleep, her speech coherent, but broken.

"… Didn't mean… make… you… feel bad… L, I… I love…" Unexpectedly, Ai breathed in deeply, a sign that she was waking up. Her bright eyes opened just as a lightning bolt flashed through the night sky, illuminating L's surprised face only inches from hers. The woman's eyes were red and puffy as she blinked rapidly to clear the sleep from them.

"L…" The detective nodded slowly, leaning away so she could sit up. "What are you doing here?" He looked at her, considering, before lifting a slender, pale hand and placing it gently against her cheek.

"Why were you crying, Isis?" The woman started, before hastily wiping her eyes with the sleeves of her blue, button-up nightshirt.

"I wasn't crying," she said, defiantly. L felt sad and elated at the same time, that he was the only one who'd ever seen her cry, but also that she didn't seem to trust him enough to tell him what was wrong. He caught her hand as she wiped away her tears and held it to his lips. Ai shivered as she looked at the detective, wishing she wasn't such a weakling when it came to him. L softly kissed her hand, saying,

"Isis… I remember what you said two days ago…" the woman flinched at his words, but didn't pull away. The detective looked up at her, his wide eyes pleading. His voice dropped to a whisper. "…But I forgive you, Isis, because I-"

"Don't say it. Please don't say it." Ai's voice choked and she jerked her hand away, biting her lip as she curled into a ball on the bed, facing away from the detective.

"… Do you really hate me that much…?" The brunette didn't respond. She felt her heart breaking as she spoke.

"You can't love me. I don't deserve it…" She felt L's weight shift as he lay on the bed behind her, slipping his arms around her slender form.

"But I do love you, Isis," he whispered, burying his face into the back of her neck. They lay like that for a while, and eventually, Ai's sobbing quieted, and her breathing regulated until she no longer gasped.

"L…" The detective watched her as she rolled over to face him. Even when she had been crying, she was still beautiful.

"What?" Ai felt her face go hot as she spoke.

"Would you stay with me tonight?" L smiled and nodded, pulling the woman closer to him as he drew up the comforter. Ai snuggled closer into his embrace, relaxing as she felt L's arms around her. After a while, she looked up into his wide, dark eyes, only to see them closed in a light doze. Blushing, she gave him a chaste kiss on the lips, lingering only long enough to remember the feel of his soft, smooth lips on hers.

"I love you too," she whispered, before finally falling asleep. L waited a full five minutes before opening his eyes. Ai had a small, contented smile on her face, one which the detective thought would never be replaced or replicated. He looked at the clock on the bedside table, which read 11:58.

"_I'd better call Watari…"_

* * *

**A/N:** Yes, I know it is horrible. No need to tell me that. My muse has gone off somewhere, and I am stuck trying to figure things out without it. Hope it doesn't seem too mushy, and I'll try to get better chapters going.


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